This is a Christian blog dealing with various issues. “Discernment is not simply a matter of telling the difference between what is right and wrong; rather it is the difference between right and almost right.” -Charles Spurgeon. Scripture is my authority for all things regarding to life and godliness. 2 Cor. 10: 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

1Jo 2:21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the truth
Heb 5:14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice TO DISTINGUISH good from evil.

Tim Keller and Rick Warren have far more in common than most people would think. On the surface, Keller is a Reformed Presbyterian who holds to the Doctrines of Grace and the Westminster Confession of Faith. Warren, on the other hand, is Seeker-Friendly and Arminian in theology. I call Tim Keller "The Reformed version of Rick Warren" because of Keller's professing of Reformed theology, while in practice and promotion he is man-centered and pushes social justice and contemplative spirituality, just as Warren does.

Both, however, have a lot in common.

Keller and Warren went out to unbelievers to find out what would attract them to a church, thus making their foundation one of unbelievers (“unchurched”) appealing to their flesh.
Both promote social justice.
Both promote Emergent/Contemplative Spirituality.

This article isn't going to address the reasons why their doctrine and therefore practices are wrong, for there's not enough room to address that here I've addressed Keller here and here; I've dealt with Warren here . My goal is to give information of how similar Rick Warren and Tim Keller really are. I have, however, linked to a few articles that do address some of the errors (like Lectio Divina and the PEAC plan) to give readers a place to start in understanding such errors in light of Scripture.

Newsweek says, “Keller is now pitching himself as a C. S. Lewis for the 21st century, a high-profile Christian apologist who can make orthodox belief not just palatable but necessary...To put it bluntly, Keller wants to be the Rick Warren of global cities.”

Founding of Churches for Unbelievers

Tim KellerRedeemer Presbyterian Church where Keller is head pastor says on their "Renew" page: " By the end of this next decade the vision is to have three strong congregations serving a total of 9,000-10,000 people, worshipping at 7-9 locations and 12 or more services around the city, drawing many more un-churched people into a relationship with God, and with a reputation for serving and loving those in the city who don't share our beliefs as well as loving those who do."
In the cover story in "Christianity Today" on Tim Keller we read:

Quote:

Keller began talking to anyone who would sit still, asking questions he had learned from the urbanists at Westminster: "What would be a New Yorker's worst disaster?" and "What kind of church would a New Yorker want to attend?" For months he sat in restaurants, learning New Yorkers' ways.

They needed someone who spoke their language, though, and Keller was a quick learner. "I saw New York mentor Tim," Sherman says. "There's something about the density of the city, the way your lives get intertwined with a secular culture."That was part of the vision: "We want to start a church for you, but also for your friends that you want to introduce to Christ."
"The most interesting people came," Tim says. "It was astounding how easy it was to have curious nonbelievers come to church."

The Kellers stick to a few rules. They never talk about politics. Tim always preaches with a non-Christian audience in mind, not merely avoiding offense, but exploring the text to find its good news for unbelievers as well as believers. The church emphasizes excellence in music and art, to the point of paying their musicians well (though not union scale).

…. Gordon MacDonald came to Manhattan's Trinity Baptist Church at about the same time the Kellers arrived… But Keller looked on MacDonald's coming as an advantage: MacDonald's name drew many New York Christians, leaving Redeemer to focus on non-Christians. Longtime believers joined Redeemer only if they caught the vision of creating a church that appealed to their non-Christian friends.

White believes Keller's unique gift is to preach to both Christians and non-Christians in the same terms, without making a choice between evangelism and discipleship: "Tim uses the gospel surgically on the heart. The gospel is what we need to come to faith and also what we need to grow." A theology of grace uses the same language to challenge both the runaway son and the solid older brother.Warren
Warren also inquired unbelievers what they wanted in a church. You will start to notice same terms used by both men in describing unbelievers ("un-churched").

In “The Purpose Driven Church”, Warren said, “As I shared in chapter 1, I began Saddleback by going door-to-door for twelve weeks and surveying the unchurched in my area. Six years earlier I had read Robert Schuller’s book “your Church Has Real Possibilities”, which told how he had gone door-to-door in 1955 and asked hundreds of people, “Why don’t you go to church?” and “What do you want in a church?” I thought this was a great idea…” (p. 190).
An article on Rick Warren in Reader's Digest (now supporting PDL magazine):

Warren changed a great deal as he progressed from a preacher who wanted to "build a church for people who hate church" to worldwide religious leader. He spoke with Reader's Digest—whose parent company recently launched his new magazine, Purpose Driven Connection—twice in recent months.

I pulled off the highway, and we walked into this real estate office and met an agent named Don Dale….We were driving to the condo with him and I said, "Hey, Don, do you go to church anywhere?" He said, "No, no. I hate church." I said, "Great. You're my first member." We started with my family and his family. Our first service was on Easter Sunday in 1980, with 200 people. For Easter in 2008, we had 14 services back-to-back, with 45,000 people. Don is still a member here.Warren, like Keller, preaches with unbelievers in mind:
Like Keller he preaches with unbelievers in mind, not Christians: "The point Paul is making is that we must be willing to adjust our worship practices when unbelievers are present (1 Corinthians 14:23). God tells us to be sensitive to the hang-ups of unbelievers in our services. Although Paul never used the term 'Seeker Sensitive,' he definitely pioneered the idea."
(Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church, p. 243)

"As I go through these things, first I sit down and I start praying. I say, "Who is going to be there?" I start to think of one person...People that I have invited, like my back doctor who was an atheist Jew who came for Easter. I start thinking: "Now what is going to help this guy know about Christ?" (preaching the gospel) and I will go through that little formula and think about the points, which were actually quite simple."
(Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Preaching: An Interview with Rick Warren. Sept-Oct 2001)

Tim Keller (caps, my emphasis)
Keller's Redeemer Vision:"To spread the gospel, first through ourselves and then through the city by word, deed, and community; To bring about personal changes, social healing, and cultural renewal through a movement of churches and ministries that change New York City and through it, the world."

“THE VISION OF REDEEMER 2005 Vision Campaign Sermons & Study Guides: “The following statement summarizes what we are called to do in NYC: To build a great city for all people—-through a gospel movement that brings personal conversion, community formation, social justice and CULTRUAL RENEWAL to New York, and through it, to the world.”

In a Q&A: “The distinctives of gospel-centrality, a balance of evangelism, community, justice and CULTURAL RENEWAL, and a concern for the whole city, not just our own tribe could be likened to an engine. The leadership and preaching gifts of any individual pastor, using this metaphor, would be the “fuel.” Naturally, some pastors have “higher octane” gifts than others, but the “engine” will run on just about anything.”

RPC's Facebook side profile echoes this: “Redeemer's vision is to build a great city for all people through a gospel movement that brings about personal conversion, community formation, social justice, and CULTURAL RENEWAL in New York City and throughout the world.”

Redeemer Presbyterian Church’s “School of Gospel Foundations”:

“Justice, Shalom, & the Third World”: "What does it mean when God calls his people to “do justice” and to “seek the shalom of the city”? We’ll look at how poverty in the U.S. differs from poverty in third world countries. We'll also explore how a Biblical framework for thinking about issues of poverty can help bring RENEWALto individuals and society.” Oct 18 12:10PM - 1:30PM."
[*Note* Instructor Chris Koepke for this class was a pastor at John Piper’s Bethlehem Baptist Church. Stories of homeless people used in the classes brings in emotions to motivate.]

"Gyger says new churches are the best way to reach out to the unchurched and transform a city spiritually, socially, and culturally. "We'd like to see New York become the city of God, a place of peace, racial reconciliation, and prosperity for the arts, with churches ministering to people in all their needs," says Gyger. "Training is often absent for the church planters who come here. If we can make an indigenous church-planting movement work in this city, I think it can be reproduced in other cities of the world."'

Social justice at Keller's church merges with Emergent Church Movement & Feminism:

"Redeemer’s vision for CULTURAL RENEWAL depends upon the engagement of our congregation with the world. Using Andy Crouch’s acclaimed book, Culture Making, as a guide, we will look more closely at how Christians can serve God through “making” culture and transforming our world. We will consider various aspects of “culture,” including the arts and entertainment, education, community development, civil service, and more. This class will be led by Arts Ministry Program Director Luann Jennings with special guests each week from different arenas of culture making. Schedule: Sundays, October 25 through November 22, from 12:10PM to 1:30PM. There will be no class on November 8."

The author they are using at this Reformed church is Andy Crouch (A senior editor at Christianity Today International) who is Emergent and endorses Brian McLaren: “From 1998 to 2003, Andy was the editor-in-chief of re:generation quarterly, a magazine for an emerging generation of culturally creative Christians.”- source

In order to achieve this "cultural renewal" they bond with unbelievers

"The Leadership Summit has become more than a solitary event on the calendar: it is a perpetual movement of men and women whose relentless global mission is to develop authentic leaders for the sake of the local church and their communities. This rich expanse reflects incredible cultural diversity and racial heritage, and does not dilute in the face of tough economic times. No individual or church need walk through this alone. Join with other leaders worldwide as we stand together to confront the challenges facing us "

Speakers he shared the platform with at Willow Creek's Leadership conference: Bill Hybels, Henry Cloud, Tony Blair, Bono, along with a few women.

At Urbana 06, Warren taught about his five stages of renewal: "Personal Renewal, Relational Renewal, Purpose Renewal, Structural Renewal, and CULTURAL RENEWL - “A changed church will change their culture,” said Warren, and will ultimately impact their surrounding communities and culture."

Holds hands with unbelievers to promote social justice, just like Keller:

Speaker at TED conferences: “In recent years, Warren has become a prominent steward of social justice, speaking out on poverty relief and encouraging spiritual leaders to play a role in guiding the planet toward sustainability. (He even attended the premiere of An Inconvenient Truth, after meeting Al Gore and producer Lawrence Bender at TED2006.)” TED is full of unbeliers like J.J. Abrams, Peter Gabriel, Tony Robbins, Amy Tan, and Al Gore.

Emergent/Contemplative Spirituality Keller
Eastern Mysticism/Contemplative Spirituality and Feminism at Tim Keller's Redeemer Presbyterian Church: quote:Susan Castillo will be teaching "The Way of the Monk" at Tim Keller's Redeemer Presbyterian Church. This is NOT just for women, but open for men and women (she's currently getting her M.A. at Westminister Theological Seminary).

Here's what the Reformed Redeemer Prebyterian Church PCA says for the class on their webpage (bold, my emphasis) ***Note*** The removed the page now, but this is straight from the page they had up.

Quote:

The Way of the Monk (April 28, May 5 & 12)

Do you long for the great theology in your head to be more real to your heart? Come discover age-old methods of contemplative prayer and worship that can help you encounter Christ in a more intimate, experiential way. In this hands-on workshop, you will experience the ancient art of chanting the Psalms (they were meant to be sung!), embark on a practice of authentic Christian meditation, discover how a simple, time-honored tool can help unleash the prayer warrior in you, learn what a typical monastic day is like and how you can make your own, private retreat at a monastery, and much more!
Note: This workshop will be of added benefit to fellowship group leaders who wish to cultivate greater variety and depth in their group’s time of worship.Schedule: Tuesdays, April 28, May 5 & 12 from 7:00PM to 9:00PM.Location: Redeemer Offices, 11th Floor Conference Room (1359 Broadway, 11th Floor, btw. 36 & 37).The Way of the Monk (April 28, May 5 & 12)

Apr 28 7:00PM - 9:00PM Centering Prayer

In this session, we will focus on Centering Prayer, an age-old practice of authentic Christian meditation. We will cover history, technique, obstacles, and how to overcome them. We will also devote ample time to actual practice and Q &A. We will learn how to properly prepare by grounding ourselves in God’s Word. As a prelude, we will consider the purpose, power, and biblical precedent for silence, solitude, and contemplative practice.

May 5 7:00PM - 9:00PM Prayer Rope

Finally…help for fidgety hands and distracted minds! In this session, we will focus on the use of a prayer rope, a practice of prayer that engages the whole person. We’ll begin by viewing a brief video that demonstrates the “Chaplet of the Divine Mercy,” a particular method of using a prayer rope. We will then do our own investigation of Scripture to determine the meaning and power of God’s “mercy” and the resulting implications for rich, yet highly accessible intercessory prayer. We’ll also cover history, purpose, technique, and devote ample time to actual practice and Q &A.

May 12 7:00PM - 9:00PMThe Divine Office/ Liturgy of the Hours

In this session, we will peek at an actualmonastic schedule and focus on the mainstay of their daily life, known as the "Divine Office" or "Liturgy of the Hours." At the cornerstone of the Divine Office is the prayerful, sung recitation or "chanting" of the Psalms; we will consider how we can rightly appropriate the Psalms as our own prayer. We will then learn and practice Compline, the final service or "office" of the monastic day.Location: Redeemer Church Offices (directions) 11th Floor Conference Room

Instructor: Susan Castillo. Susan Castillo is currently on Redeemer staff in the Fellowship Group department and is pursuing an MA in Biblical Counseling from Westminster Theological Seminary. She wholly espouses Reformed Presbyterian theology while continuing to embrace her “inner monk.” Sometimes referred to as “The Retreat Lady,” she has been fleeing to monasteries to “honeymoon with Jesus” for over ten years.

"I have long profited from Adele Ahlberg Calhoun's gifts in the field of spiritual development, and I am delighted that she has compiled her experience with spiritual disciplines into book form. I highly recommend it and I look forward to using it as a resource at our church." —Dr. Timothy Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church, NYC

"I love this book! Adele has provided a treasure trove of spiritualdisciplines that will nourish your soul, striking a delicate balance between accessibility and depth that comes from her own faithful practice. Read it, engage the disciplines, and allow God to transform you in the deepest levels of your being." —Ruth Haley Barton, cofounder, The Transforming Center, and author of Sacred Rhythms and Invitation to Solitude and Silence

About Villiage Church: "The Village Church lives to revolutionize Greenwich Village, through word and deed, into the pre-eminent expression of urban eternal life, by bridging those who don’t believe to the church, dancing believer with believer, and uniting all to Christ."

The Villiage's Values:"We spend a lot of our energy to accomplish nothing! Individually and in our 11:00 a.m. gathering each Sunday, we celebrate Jesus Christ as our connection to the Divine. Through celebrating His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension, we inhale His grace and exhale our appreciation. This respiration of worship, with joy and reverence, is vital to who we are, an exhibition of excitement about knowing and walking with God.

The Village Church brings the Ancient forward to today. We find the historic Christian faith to be the means of navigating the turbulent choices of city life. We are creedal, sacramental and confessional in the Presbyterian tradition (PCA). The ministry of Word and Sacrament, Praise and Prayer, are means of grace we use weekly to proclaim both God’s transcendence and Christ’s invitation to immanence, in an eclectic style indigenous to Greenwich Village. We hail the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament, working constantly to reform the faith in our contemporary setting."

Describing God in his book, The Purpose-Driven Life, he wrote:“He rules everything and is everywhere and is in everything.” (p. 88) Compounding the matter further, “immanence” has been taught as part of the Foundations class at Rick Warren’s Saddleback Church. An ill-defined reference to immanence on page 46 of the Saddleback Foundations Participants Guide plays right into the hands of the New Spirituality/New World Religion by stating:“The fact that God stands above and beyond his creation does not mean he stands outside his creation. He is both transcendent (above and beyond his creation) and immanent (within and throughout his creation).”

As already said above, Warren talks of God's "immanence": "“The fact that God stands above and beyond his creation does not mean he stands outside his creation. He is both transcendent (above and beyond his creation) and immanent (within and throughout his creation).”

“Begin asking the Holy Spirit to help you to think of the spiritual need of unbelievers whenever you talk to them. With practice, you can develop the habit of praying silent "breath prayers" for those you encounter. Say "Father, help me to understand what is keeping this person from knowing you."”

“In his catalog of wisdom from the desert fathers of the fourth century, Thomas Merton tells of a certain brother who went to Abbot Moses in Scete and asked him for a good word. The elder said to him, “Go, sit in your cell, and your cell will teach you everything.”

The power of silence and solitude has been recognized throughout the history of spiritual formation.

“Silence is the absence of sound and quiet the stilling of sound,” writes Frederick Buechner.

“Quiet chooses to be silent. It holds its breath to listen.” The rule of St. Benedict speaks of cultivating silence in our lives.

Emergent guru Dan Kimball teaches about “sacred space”, and “bringing back ancient religious symbols and some rituals used throughout church history.” He says, “When choosing to implement something like *Lectio Divina* (a contemplative praying of the Scriptures) into a worship gathering, though, take a moment to teach worshipers the history of the practice so that it isn’t perceived as just a gimmick.”

“This summer I spoke at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. It was an honor to be invited. No one pulls off a conference like Willow Creek…. Nobody provides more practical help for organizing and leading ministry than Willow Creek."

He goes on to praise the great aspects of also the Emergent Churches and more traditional (a la John Frame of Reformed Theological Seminary) which is very ecumenical.

Rick Warren
In two powerful messages from the Willow Creek Leadership Summit, Bill Hybels and Rick Warren address key characteristics of a leader: an open heart and open hands. Named “Holy Discontent, Wholly Surrendered”

Both Keller and Warren started churches for unbelievers, they promote social justice, hold hands with unbelievers to make the world a better place, and promote Eastern mysticism through Contemplative Spirituality practices and authors.

“The evolutionary lie is so pointedly antithetical to Christian truth that it would seem unthinkable for evangelical Christians to compromise with evolutionary science in any degree. But during the past century and a half of evolutionary propaganda, evolutionists have had remarkable success in getting evangelicals to meet them halfway. Remarkably, many modern evangelicals . . . have already been convinced that the Genesis account of creation is not a true historical record. Thus they have not only capitulated to evolutionary doctrine at its starting point, but they have also embraced a view that undermines the authority of Scripture at its starting point.” (from “The Battle for the Beginning“).

There was a time, ten or twenty years ago, when I would have taken the bait and swallowed this hook, line, and sinker. Today I won’t. Not because I am now convinced about a God-guided theory of evolution, but because I just don’t know. I am not confused or disturbed about the issue, nor does it put any of my faith in jeopardy in any way. I just don’t knowwhether or not God used evolution as a means to create humanity. Neither do I knowhow long it took to create the earth. I don’t know if Genesis 1 is meant to be taken literally, metaphorically, symbolically, ideologically, mythologically, or accommodatingly. I simply believe that when it is interpreted rightly, it is true.

But I don’t think that it is here we find the central battle for our faith. I believe that there are more important issues. Much more important issues.

Either way, the gauntlet is going to continue to fall and Christians who believe in evolution are going to continually be accused of compromise. Maybe they have compromised; I don’t know. But to me, it only makes a difference when people push for it to make a difference.

End quote.

Not only is this assinine, its completely against Scripture. What's to not know? God has told us how He created: by HIS Word, and immediately things came into being. He told how how long it took: six days. So simple children understand and believe.

Rev 4:11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created."

Gen 1:3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

Gen 2:7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

Psa 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

Psa 148:4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created.

Heb 1:2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

Joh 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.

Isa 45:12 I made the earth and created man on it; it was my hands that stretched out the heavens, and I commanded all their host.

Belief in the Literal Six Day Creation as Genesis clearly says, IS of eternal importance for a few reasons:

* God said He created in six literal days and that's enough to believe it.* To deny the above IS to sit in the seat of scoffers (Ps. 1:1-2) and say what the Serpent said, "Hath God said?"* Hebrews 1:3 lists FIRST SLDC (six literal day creation) as the object of our faith.* Deny SLDC leads to denial of a real Fall, historical Adam and Eve, Justification, Total Depravity, and therefore Salvation.

For one who doesn't know things, Patton sure says alot. He reminds me of Joel Osteen who kept saying "I don't know" in his interview with Larry King a few years ago. For men who teach, they sure don't know much.

This isn't surprising, considering Patton has already declared war on the Word in doubting Its inerrancy (clearly his thinking is VERY Post-Modern and even tries to redefine "inerrancy" accordingly). He promotes that there's a DANGER to holding to the inerrancy of Scripture. So with this war started, he now battles against Genesis' account of Creation.

Scripture says those in Christ do know the Truth, for God's Word is Truth, Jesus is Truth, and we have the Spirit of Truth Who will lead us into all truth.

Patton's (and others') feigned ignorance reeks of arrogance against God's clear Word. Moreover, ignorance isn't a virtue. Besides being accountable for knowing Truth (for we are saved by the Word of Truth, that is, the Gospel--James 1:18), God also says:Eph 5:17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

1Jo 2:21 I write to you, not because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and because NO LIE IS OF THE TRUTH.

2 Thes. 2: ﻿13﻿ But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God chose you﻿to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit AND THROUGH BELIEF in the TRUTH. 14﻿ He called you to THIS THROUGH OUR GOSPEL , that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (caps for emphasis by me)Joh 14:6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Joh 8:30 As he was saying these things, many believed in him. 31 So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, "If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

In addition to all of this, Scripture commands us to not be conformed to the THINKING of the world, nor hold to the philosophies of the age, which Evolution and Post-Modern thinking is.

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Col 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

1Co 2:14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. [Remember what Faith is and what we place our faith in, in Heb. 11:1-3?]

2Co 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Biblical Truth trumps EVERYTHING including science. Patton seems to be swayed by popular "scientific" theories instead of the sound, faithful Word of God, you know, the Word that proceeded from the mouth of God our Creator. Wouldn't that trump spiritually dead, philosophized God-hater's presuppositions and their religion of science? In fact that's what Patton and others like himself have done: traded the religion of science for the Truth of God's Word.Instead of trying to intergrate humanistic God-hating philosophy like evolution with the Bible (remember no LIE is of the Truth, and once you add lies to truth you no longer have truth--a little leaven example), Patton ought to go to a solid ministry like Institute for Creation Research, which holds Scripture above even science:

"Please open your Bibles to Genesis chapter one." With this, Dr. John MacArthur opened the 2009 Shepherds' Conference. For the next hour, he told nearly 3,200 church leaders that no self-respecting pastor, evangelical, or Christian should attempt to deny that God created the heavens and earth in six literal days. Those who have difficulty believing the historical account of Genesis, he warned, will have much more difficulty trusting the rest of the Bible and its accounts of the virgin birth, Christ's atonement for our sins, and the resurrection of the dead, all miracles that cannot--that must not--be subjected to the reasoning of finite men.

Those who claim that God sparked the Big Bang, that "evening and morning" in Genesis 1 really represent millions and billions of years, that there were too many events on "Day 6" for God to have accomplished them in 24 hours, etc., exalt the science of men over the Word of God. It's a drift from orthodoxy. And ICR is concerned about this in two fundamental areas.

First, the "science" of those who refuse to take God at His Word, opting rather to trust in naturalistically-based theories, is fundamentally flawed. And second, these same leaders suggest that God does not mean what He said; evidently, only Ph.D. scientists can interpret the Bible correctly. Both issues contribute to a growing lack of confidence in the Bible, as the young Bible college student I met illustrates.

Genesis 1:1 states, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." This is the first and foremost apologetic. If a person stumbles on this one profound truth, a lifetime of doubt and confusion lies ahead for him, full of uncertainty about the ultimate purpose for being alive. But when a Christian attempts to alter this ultimate statement of reality to fit the compromising philosophies of men--even scientifically-trained professionals--then woe to him for his unbelief and, even graver still, for teaching others that unbelief. The following article by the late Dr. Henry Morris, published some years back, contains a timeless warning about the failure of Christian scientists who compromise the truth. Today, the names of Christian leaders who advocate compromise in the Genesis record are different, but the precipice on which they stand is just as dangerous. -- Lawrence Ford, Executive Editor

The road of compromise looks attractive at first, but long experience has proved it to be a one-way street. The evolutionists at the end of the road are never satisfied until their opponents travel all the way to the atheistic void at its end.

Charles Darwin set the pattern. Starting out as a Bible-believing creationist, he first became enamored of Charles Lyell's uniformitarianism and his "progressive creationism." Soon he abandoned the Bible and creationism altogether, moving on into the domain of theistic evolutionism. Eventually he became an agnostic and finally an atheist.

A good modern example is found in the writings of Davis Young. As a beginning graduate student, Dr. Young originally believed in a literal six-day creation and flood geology. Under the guidance of his Princeton professors, however, he converted to "progressive creationism" and the venerable "day-age theory" of Genesis. This position he strongly advocated in two influential books.4, 5 He did acknowledge, however, that the "natural" interpretation of Genesis, as well as the teaching of the early Christians and the Protestant reformers, was the literal interpretation. He had simply decided this had to be abandoned because of its supposed geological difficulties.

End quote.

When someone denies the clarity, inerrancy, and authority of God's Word, why would anyone listen to anything he has to say about God, theology, or Scripture? He's just ripped out the only authority he had on which to speak about spiritual things. He has reviled God's Word...let him now be shunned.

For a Christian to mouth the words of Satan, "Hath God said?" in the name of "knowledge" (how ironic, since the temptation by Satan was to eat from the Tree of KNOWLEDGE of Good and Evil), is an absolute treason. Rather than proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ, Patton and others like him, dismiss Him and join in the chorus of God-haters against Truth. The enemy is within the churches, folks.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Should we discard with books, tapes, cd's, dvd's by authors who have proven to see biblical truth as optional, who promote teachers and speakers who are in direct opposition to truth, even though they themselves claim they are not?

YES! A hundred times YES! Without hesitation, without doubt, without guilt.

Those men who claim biblical doctrine, like justification by faith, yet promote men who deny it, bring themselves under scrutiny: do they REALLY believe in justification by faith, or is it merely their own view? If its biblical doctrine, its not an option to promote any other view. If its of eternal consequences, there is no other view--indeed, to teach things in regard to the Gospel and salvation which are opposed to Scripture is to promote the path to Hell!

A person who claims one thing, but promotes the opposite isn't one who REALLY believes what they claim they do. We see this all the time. For example, the Roman Catholic "Church" says it believes in salvation by grace yet then adds works. In politics, Gov. Schwarzeneggar said he was against taxes, then proceeded to give us a tax hike here in California. Finally, a recent example in Christian circles is John Piper, who says he holds to the doctrine of Justification by faith, yet he promotes and feeds his followers a man who denies this very doctrine: Douglas Wilson who is one of the leading proponents of Federal Vision heresy.

Let's keep in mind that Piper has also repeatedly promoted and defended Mark-the X-rated- pastor-Driscoll, as well as cussing author Paul Tripp for his Desiring "God" conferences.

2Pe 2:1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed.

Woe to the man through whom this is done and the one who promotes such teachers!

Do people think that a false teacher will announce themselves as such? How do you suppose they will infiltrate churches and families, if not subtlely, secretly,and under the radar, proclaiming sound doctrine so as to be accepted by you? Why not through "other" men they offer, so as to not cast doubt about themselves; after all its not these men who are teaching something "off" ---just one of their friends, and shouldn't we be tolerant and hope they grow?

Folks, we are to be wise, not gullible. We need to reject those who promote false teachers!If you consider yourself sound in doctrine and won't watch TBN because of the false teachers, why do you not do the same within your own circles? Why do you reject TBN but applaude Piper? They both do the same thing...one is just far more subtle.

Think about it.

Don't commit the sin of favoritism (see James 2). Hypocrisy is horrible both on the side of the one promoting false teachers while claiming to be biblical, and the hearers who refuse to reject the one through whom they come yet claim sound doctrine. Truth plus error IS error!

Quote:

It is often a long time before God's children are able to account for this. They blame themselves; they are exceedingly loath to say, "This message is not of God." They are afraid to act in the spiritual, as they do in the natural, and condemn and discard that which is worthless.

"Those who live according to the flesh—have their minds set on what the flesh desires," (Romans 8:5). They are charmed with oratorical eloquence, catchy sayings, witty allusions, and amusing illustrations. On just such "husks", do the religious "swine" feed!

But the penitent prodigal can find no nutriment therein! Men "of the world"—and they may be graduates from some "Bible Institute" or possessors of a diploma from some Bible Seminary, now styling themselves "preachers of the Gospel"—will speak of the things of the world and "the world hears them" (1 John 4:5).But those who are seeking to "work out their own salvation with fear and trembling" obtain no help therefrom, yes, they perceive clearly that such sermons and periodicals are "broken cisterns, which can hold no water" (Jer. 2:13).

To turn away from the lifeless preachers and publishers of the day—may involve a real cross. Your motives will be misconstrued, your words perverted, and your actions misinterpreted. The sharp arrows of false report will be directed against you. You will be called proud and self-righteous, because you refuse to fellowship empty professors. You will be termed censorious and bitter—if you condemn in plain speech—the subtle delusions of Satan. You will be dubbed narrow-minded and uncharitable, because you refuse to join in singing the praises of the "great" and "popular" men of the day. More and more, you will be made to painfully realize—that the path which leads unto eternal life is "narrow" and that FEW there are who find it. May the Lord be pleased to grant unto each of us—the hearing ear and obedient heart! "Take heed what you hear" and read!

Kyle Strobel got three master's degrees, one at least is from Talbot School of Theology, a very liberal school. Its no wonder he's into Contemplative Spirituality--he was in a school that teaches this junk. Clearly he didn't learn what Edwards thought----or more importantly what GOD thinks of such garbage.

Lee Strobel, author of "The Case For Christ" and considered an apologist. He joined Saddleback Community Church (Ricky Warren's pad) in 2000-2002 after being a teaching pastor at Willow Creek Community church in the late 1980's- 2000. He quite WCC in 2002 to "focus on writing" (but he was writing the whole time he was at two different churches) and there's no indication if he's at a church.

Friday, October 09, 2009

1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev but not Ronald Reagan, without whom Gorbechev would have never participated in bringing down the Iron Curtain. In fact, Gorbachev helped keep it in place for years.

1994 - Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, Yitzhak Rabin The head of the murderous PLO? The PLO??? Need I say more? Here is the quintessential POMO view that ALL views and ALL principles are equally valid. How wrong can people be??

2001 - United Nations, Kofi Annan Oh yes, the UN, the den of integrity and human rights, and head of the UN and infamous Oil-for-Food program, who is the poster child of integrity, Annan.

2007 - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Al Gore - Hypocrisy nails this "peace maker", when he rides a fuel-guzzling jet around the world repeatedly and out-spends most homes in America in electricity and carbon emissions, yet calls on everyone else to do better than he's willing to do himself. Oh, btw, the world is ending in 6 years, according to his hysterical calculations. I wonder what size the "carbon footprint" of the rocket that took that MOP missile to the Moon to bomb it was? And yes, we bombed the Moon---American aggression on the wee thing, destroying part of the surface. Anyone see the hypocrisy here?

2009 - Barack Obama Well, what can I say? The man has single-handedly done nothing for peace but has done a LOT for APPEASEMENT. I think that's what we need to rename the Nobel Peace Prize as: The Nobel Appeasement Prize. After all, this is the bribe by socialist European countries to influence the greatest nation in the world by bringing it down to their pathetic level. All of this and no real accomplishments FOR America....only TO America, the country he hates.

How to win the Nobel Appeasement Prize by doing nothing for twelve days (that's all it took for Barrak Hussein Obama---mmm mmm mmm).

Thursday, October 08, 2009

TULIP will give you a pass for anything. We've seen it with Piper repeatedly, as well as Tim Keller. Keller, the Reformed version of Ricky Warren, is just as man-centered as Warren has ever been, but he also claims to hold to Reformed Theology. Considering that TULIP or the Doctrines of Grace has, at its base and foundation, the absolute and total sovereignty of God, it rejects pragmatism completely. But this isn't what many Reformers do these days. Here's the latest on Tim Keller's compromise regarding the false movements of the "Seeker-Friendly" and Emergent movements.

Quote:

This summer I spoke at the Willow Creek Leadership Summit. It was an honor to be invited. No one pulls off a conference like Willow Creek. Who else could bring their content to 120,000 people? And the three other talks or sessions that I saw were extremely high quality.

The time at Willow led me to reflect on how much criticism this church has taken over the years. On the one hand, my own 'camp' -- the non-mainline Reformed world -- has been critical of its pragmatism, its lack of emphasis on sound doctrine. On the other hand, the emerging and post-modern ministries and leaders have disdained Willow's individualism, its program-centered, 'corporate' ethos. These critiques, I think, are partly right, but when you are actually there you realize many of the most negative evaluations are caricatures.

...The danger there is that we can have a naïve and unBiblical view that, if we just expound the Word faithfully, everything else in the church -- leader development, community building, stewardship of resources, unified vision -- will just happen by themselves.

By thinking in this way, it makes it possible for me to love and appreciate the best representatives of each of these contemporary evangelical 'traditions.' Nobody provides more practical help for organizing and leading ministry than Willow Creek. I also am humbled that Redeemer is well-regarded in each of these 'streams' of evangelicalism, though we have our feet firmly set in our own Reformed tradition.

"The Leadership Summit has become more than a solitary event on the calendar: it is a perpetual movement of men and women whose relentless global mission is to develop authentic leaders for the sake of the local church and their communities. This rich expanse reflects incredible cultural diversity and racial heritage, and does not dilute in the face of tough economic times. No individual or church need walk through this alone. Join with other leaders worldwide as we stand together to confront the challenges facing us. "

Unbelievers, God-haters, joining with "Christians" in a common mission for the local church and its communities? Scripture says this:

Joh 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

2Co 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?2Co 6:15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?2Co 6:16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, "I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.2Co 6:17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you,2Co 6:18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty."

Yet, Keller doesn't believe what the Bible says. He mocks Is sufficiency, so of course he holds hands with the political worldly, God-hating leaders. Just like Warren. (Warren has participated in the TED seminares and Tony Blair's Faith Foundation --Blair is a Roman Catholic.)

Rather, Scripture says:

Psa 1:1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Ps. 138:2… You have exalted above all things Your name and Your word.

Psa 119:104 Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Psa 119:11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple;

1Ti 6:3 If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, 4 he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.

Look at his statement against the sufficiency of Scripture again: "The danger there is that we can have a naïve and unBiblical view that, if we just expound the Word faithfully, everything else in the church -- leader development, community building, stewardship of resources, unified vision -- will just happen by themselves. "

Scripture screams against Keller's statement above and shatters it to pieces:

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

Now, you have to realise he's got a set of phrases that are easily glossed over by Christians b/c they sound Christian, but in fact his practice and his website shows his true meaning: "community building" in his mind is worldly community building, joining hands with God-haters to do "good deeds"; "stewardship of resources" = environmentalism (all the rage in Emergent churches), and "unified vision" = common ground with those who don't hold to Biblical doctrine ---truth is optional.

**Update**

Keller's church's "Renew Campaign" is very Warrenesque (thanks to commenter, Grace, for pointing out that page):

"By the end of this next decade the vision is to have three strong congregations serving a total of 9,000-10,000 people, worshipping at 7-9 locations and 12 or more services around the city, drawing many more un-churched people into a relationship with God, and with a reputation for serving and loving those in the city who don't share our beliefs as well as loving those who do."

"To spread the gospel, first through ourselves and then through the city by word, deed, and community; To bring about personal changes, social healing, and cultural renewal through a movement of churches and ministries that change New York City and through it, the world."

Just like Ricky Warren, Timmy Keller wants to join hands with God-haters for "social justice" and temporal, earthly pursuits.

Compare Redeemer's Visions/Renew projects to Warren's PEACE plan. They are extreemly close in verbage, focus, and motive. More information on the PEACE plan here.

Like Warren,Keller is a man-centered false teacher. He embraces the world and it embraces him. He wants to be all things to all men. He wants to find truth in error (Scripture says "no lie is of the truth), sift through the dung hill to find something good, and come out smelling like a rose. But his fruit is putrid and is offensive to God, His Word, and those who are loyal to Christ alone.

....The Federal Vision brazenly defends justification by works; universal covenant grace to every child of believing parents, if not to every person sprinkled with water in the name of the triune God; an election unto grace that fails to save; baptismal regeneration; and the falling away of many who were once united to Christ. Among the authors are Steve Wilkins, John Barach, Rich Lusk, Peter J. Leithart, Steve Schlissel, James Jordan, and Douglas Wilson.

The movement that calls itself the “federal vision” teaches justification by the obedience of the sinner. “The presuppositions undergirding Paul’s statement [in Romans 2:13] include the facts that the Law is ‘obeyable,’ that truly responding to the Law (the Word) in faith does justify” (Schlissel, 260).

The “federal vision” teaches that the saving grace of God in Christ is universal within the sphere of the covenant, but that this grace can be resisted and lost. Everyone who is baptized, particularly every child of believing parents who is baptized, is savingly united to Christ, although many later fall away and perish....

The movement teaches baptismal regeneration. The ceremony of sprinkling with water in the name of the triune God effects the temporary regeneration and salvation of everyone baptized.

The heresy of the “federal vision” is deep and broad. It penetrates to the heart of the Gospel, and it extends to all the doctrines of grace. It can be refuted and rooted out only by the doctrine of a covenant of unconditional, particular grace. And this is why the Presbyterian and Reformed churches where the heresy is boldly taught are both unwilling and unable to resist it.

End quote.

In the recent past, Piper has had cussing and foul-mouthed "pastors" like Mark Driscoll and Paul Tripp also at the DIDKWKOG Conference. All of this is, I believe, the fruit of Piper's "hedonistic Christianity" and its bearing putrid and poisonous fruit.

Biblical doctrine is optional, like: no cussing, no course jesting and sexual talk, justification by faith alone, believer's baptism, just to name a few. No folks, to Piper and most self-proclaimed Reformers, its all just optional. And with Piper being the Pied Piper, his fans follow in his footsteps, linking to these men he bodly offers them.

I know of but ONE WAY to be justified and ONE WAY to be saved: by grace through faith in Christ alone. Any other way is damnable. But apparently, to so many Reformers, its just a matter of personal opinion, which is why they are embracing Federal Visionism and Romanism (FV is a form of Romanism). Such people are going back to their mother, the Roman Catholic Church, which was NEVER reformed (how can you reform that which is dead?).

Eph 5:6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them;

Is. 8 20﻿ To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

Do not be deceived: "Bad company ruins good morals." (1Co 15:33)

2Jo 1:7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. 8 Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward.

Allow me to end with a quote from Spurgeon (whom these Reformers love to claim):

Excerpts from Spurgeon's "War! War! War!" : (You won't hear the likes of Piper, Driscoll, Sproul, or any of the other Reformers say such things about the RCC):

"I am astonished, and yet more astonished when I come to turn it over, at the want of earnestness that there is in the Protestantism of the present age. How do you imagine that Cardinal Wiseman pays for all his splendours, and that the Romish church is supported? Fools and slow of heart, ye find them much of their wealth. If he is to preach in any place, who is it that crowds the chapel full, and pays for admission? The Protestants; and the Protestantism of England is the pay-master of the Pope. I am ashamed that sons of the Reformers who have Smithfield still in their midst unbuilt upon, should bow themselves before the beast, and give so much as a single farthing to the shrine of the devil's firstborn son. Take heed to yourselves, ye Protestants, lest ye be partakers of her plagues; touch her not, lest ye be defiled.Give a drachm to her, or a grain of incense to her censors, ye shall be partakers of her adulteries and partakers of her plagues. Every time you pass the house of Popery let a curse light upon her head: Thus saith the Lord:—"Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities."

Among politicians and pundits, media and entertainment moguls, and academicians pontificating from their tenured naturalism, Christians are blatantly branded as the enemy, a scourge to be banned.

The emerging church movement has "Christianized" the damnable error that absolute truth does not exist, and is leading hoards of "seekers" into the mouth of hell. Evangelicals are slipping into hybrid theologies and doctrines that seek "the praise of men more than the praise of God" (John 12:43).

Once-solid seminaries and colleges are now espousing such heresies as "openness theology" and "revisionist thinking," and formerly strong commitments to inspiration and inerrancy are being undermined by complex scholarly theories that treat the words of God as mere literature to be evaluated in a "framework hypothesis," subjugating the omnipotent and omniscient LOGOS to the theories and minds of mortal men.

All too many churches embrace a format of developing facilitators, not teachers; sharing, not learning, becomes the goal, and a focus on helping, not loving, becomes more important than holiness or comprehending the eternal Word of God. Pastors consumed with numerical growth rather than spiritual maturity seek to "attract" rather than "win" the lost. Repentance is seldom preached, and Christian fun is the dominant theme among youth ministries--almost to the exclusion of a passion for holiness.

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Comfort – host of "The Way of the Master" television show with actor Kirk Cameron and head of Bellflower, Calif.-based Living Waters ministry – is preparing a campaign Nov. 19 with Cameron to mark the 150th anniversary of "Origin of Species." They plan to distribute 120,000 copies of a special edition of Darwin's seminal book on 100 of the top university campuses across the nation.

They will be assisted by a few thousand volunteers, said Comfort, who wrote a 50-page introduction in which he says he provided evidence for intelligent design, the theory that the universe and life is the result of an intelligent creator.

Comfort argues the book has not been altered at all.

"The 304-page publication will be Charles Darwin's every word – not one jot nor tittle will be removed," he said.

Comfort asks, "Besides, if they think my arguments have no merit, why are they so upset? They should actually enjoy the fact that I'm spreading more of my idiotic claims that intelligent students will see right through – that way my stupidity will be that much more apparent."Comfort pointed out there have here been more than 140 individual publications of "Origin of Species," and many had introductions.

Comfort's introduction contains information from "Nothing Created Everything,"which asserts "many scientists actually believe the scientific impossibility that nothing created everything."He quotes a numbers of scientists making that assertion, including Dawkins.

"That is making them fume, because it shows that their theory is not at all intelligent," Comfort said.

Other atheist forums are calling for book burnings.

"I'm not into burning books, but this one deserves to be,"

End quote.

Here's the problem: their strategy to proclaim truth includes offering the lies. 50 pages versus 304 pages--does this really show the bias toward truth? No.

While its creative, its pragmatic. Instead of giving everyone Darwin's book with a contrary introduction, they should focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they can start with Him as Creator. But to give such a platform to the book IS to aid the enemy in spreading lies. Scripture is ALL truth and is biased for Truth. It does not share lies alongside the Truth. It gives ONLY Truth. So why do Christians think they can do better?

Christianity and Creationism is NOT an intellectual debate of facts. Its a spiritual problem because man is rebelling against God. Believing the Genesis account is a matter of faith:

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. ...3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.

1Co 1:20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

About Me

My name is Denise (aka "Surphing"). I grew up in the Charismatic movement, but God delivered me out of it, and I thank Him for that. My heart is to show other believers the error of various movements(e.g. the Word Of Faith, Seeker Friendly,Emergent Church movements, Reformed theology,etc.)I want to help them find truth through Scripture. I love the Word of God and hold it dear to my heart. It is the standard by which I filter everything, including (hopefully and most importantly) my own thoughts and actions.
There is One God, and within the One God there are three distinct, co-equal and co-eternal persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit(1Peter 1:2; Matt. 28:19; Matt. 3:16-17; John 14:16-17). Literal 6 day Creation is Truth.Scripture is infallible, inerrant, & God-breathed (2Tim. 3:16, Heb.4:12, Ps. 19 & 119). Salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone apart from any works (baptism, prayers, walking an aisle, etc.) so that no one can boast (Eph. 2:8-10). God is totally Sovereign in ALL things (Ps 33). I do mean ALL. Man is responsible for his sin. God is responsible for saving the elect through HIS means.